


The Wreck of Our Hearts

by orphan_account



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, References to Canon, Slow Burn, references to comics, season 1 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 12:56:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13636740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Kara had known Lena a long time; knew everything there was to know about her. At least, it was what she thought.Years after being adopted by the Danvers  and meeting Lena Thorul at school, she decides to reveal herself to the world and share the powers and heroic nature of her cousin, preventing an airplane crash and saving the lives of hundreds of people, including her adopted sister, Alex. Alongside her friends, James Olsen, Winn Schott and the DEO, of which Alex is a part, Kara is divided between the hard work of being Cat Grant's personal assistant and the arduous mission of defending humanity from hostile threats under the alter-ego "Supergirl".However, her new mission may reveal more about her childhood best friend than she had ever imagined, including feelings that have been dormant since Kara was a teenager.





	1. Everything Has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> Me knowing I have a bunch of WIP vs me posting new fics anyway.  
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everything has changed since I met you  
> My heart was broken  
> Hope was overdue
> 
> Running empty  
> Running out of time  
> Thought I lost my mind  
> But everything has changed since I met you"  
> \- 'Everything Has Changed', Heffron Drive

_Kara felt like crying. There seemed to be a whirlwind within the blonde-haired girl that destroyed her from the inside out with all the pain built up on her chest. From her point of view, Krypton's destruction was still too recent, not to mention the flashes of memory she possessed of her time in the Phantom Zone. The Danvers did everything possible to make her days easier – at this point, even Alex was trying to help her fit in –, but even that did not seem enough, especially when she needed to spend so much time in a school in which every student seemed to hate her._

_The Kryptonian shrank as much as she could as she noticed the looks she was receiving from the people around her. The hallway was crowded with students, and every pair of eyes were looking at her, even though she had been at that school for a few weeks now. She did not like the attention; she did not like the whispers that her sharp hearing captured. Everything was so overwhelming, especially with her new super senses. She saw too much, heard too much; she felt herself going mad as the grief for her planet, her family, and everything she knew weighed in her chest._

_“_ Did you see the new girl, Alex Danvers’ sister? _” “_ I didn’t know the Danvers had another kid. _” “_ I heard she’s adopted. _” “_ I can’t believe how dorky she looks. _” “_ Her head is totally huge. _” “_ Almost as big as her ego… _” “_ Who does she think she is? _” “_ Goofy. _” “_ She thinks she’s so much better than us. Look, she doesn’t talk to anyone… _”_

 _Kara closed her eyes tightly to hold back the tears. She wanted to leave, run away. She wanted to run into her mother's arms, wanted Alura Zor-El to tell her that everything was all right and that she could go home. Still, the blonde-haired girl had seen Krypton's explosion. Her rational mind knew nothing would be alright again, though her heart begged for some form of comfort, something that made her feel less miserable._ _However, Alex attended another school, and Kara did not have a single friend. She had no one to talk to there._

 _She missed everything. She missed her home, the people she knew, her mother, her father, her Uncle Jor-El, her Aunt Lara; her Aunt Astra, whom she had not seen for so long, even before Krypton exploded._ _She missed her life, and the longing that grew in her chest threatened to crush her, or, at least, force tears out of her eyes._

 _Her inattention made her bump into somebody, but the radiation coming from the yellow sun in the blue sky did not allow her to feel a single pang of pain. She looked up, but immediately wished she had not seen the person in front of her,_ _who was massaging her shoulder in a show of her own pain._

 _“Watch where you’re going, nerd.”_ _Kara lowered her gaze in shame as she realized that the strident voice of the girl she had bumped into drew even more attention to her._

 _Belinda Zee, a tall, athletic cheerleader with long, dense black hair and sparkly violet eyes, was probably one of the biggest torments of Kara's school life._ _She made no effort to make Kara's day as difficult as possible – like when she dropped a bucket of blue paint on the blonde-haired girl, or when she hung up numerous posters with embarrassing pictures of the Kryptonian taken at inopportune moments._ _Kara did not know why Belinda hated her so much, but she would not dare to ask._

_If possible, Kara shrank further, seeking to escape the cheerleader’s eyes, as the dark-haired girl stared at her with disdain._

_“What’s the matter, Danvers? Having a bad day?” Belinda asked in a voice full of venom. “Big sister isn’t here to protect you?”_ _The question was followed by a chuckle from the cheerleader, who was soon joined by the students around. Kara knew that Alex still did not like her much, that she still did not accept the alien intruder in her life. However, the older Danvers never allowed anyone to treat Kara badly when the two were together. The blonde-haired girl wished Alex were there with her, protecting her._

_However, Alex was not there and Kara had no one to protect her. She needed to take care of herself on her own. There was no other way._

_“Leave me alone.”_ _She asked; then, she tried to get past Belinda, who grabbed her arm. The blonde-haired Kryptonian had to remind herself that people could not know about her powers, so she allowed the other girl's grip, a touch she barely felt, to stop her from continuing. She could not ruin the disguise that Kal-El and the Danvers worked so hard to build and maintain._

_“No, no, no.” Belinda said in a mocking tone as she stared down at the alien. “This isn’t how it works, Danvers. You don’t turn your back on me while I’m talking.” She smirked. “Know your place, weirdo.”_

_Kara closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head when she heard the students laughing around her. She had no one at all. The whole school hated her. Still, she could not let it take her down. She drew a breath of air into her lungs and gathered the courage to speak._

_“You know what?” Kara was surprised at the firmness in her own voice. “I don’t care about you! I’m happy…”_ _Her voice trembled, as she knew she was not, but she could not let Belinda win. Her parents had sent her to protect Kal-El and she had failed; her cousin did not need her, but that did not mean she could not find a new meaning for her existence. She knew that, more than just to protect Kal-El, Zor-El and Alura had sent her away from Krypton out of love, so she could have a chance to build a life; therefore, she would not give up without trying. She owed that to her parents, to her people._

 _“Oh, please.” Belinda rolled her eyes. “I know your type, Danvers. You wish people loved you the way they love me. You want people to like you, you want friends, but it’ll never happen. No one will ever want to be your friend. They’ll look at you and think of that nerdy, pathetic girl who didn’t have a family and was taken in like a stray cat, a charity case, and…”_ _She broke off when a strange glow struck her and the students around her, everyone except for Kara, whose eyes were teary. “Quack!”_ _The Kryptonian took a long moment to remember what that sound was, but she had immediate certainty that it was not common for it to come from a human being._

 _She looked around in confusion as she realized that everyone had begun to reproduce that sound, a sound common to… Chickens? Ducks? She was not sure._ _However, she was sure it was not common to humans._ _Was that some sort of ritual? Were they mocking her again?_

_Kara frowned and wiped a solitary tear that slid down her cheek._

_“Okay, this planet officially scares me.”_ _She whispered to herself as she watched the strange behavior. Unluckily, someone had listened to her._

 _“That’s a weird thing to say.”_ _Kara could swear that her heart stopped for a moment before she turned to see who the owner of the voice was._

 _The girl was smaller than Kara was, so that the top of her head reached only the Kryptonian’s shoulder. She seemed to be younger, too young for Middle School even._ _She had dark hair, pale skin and bright green eyes, plus a nice smile, the kind that no one but Kal-El, the Danvers, and some teachers bothered enough to show the little blonde-haired alien._ _She was also sleazy, but not awkward like Kara, and carried a metallic device with thin arms._

_Kara took a short moment to remember that she owed the girl a plausible explanation for what she had said. She could not ruin her disguise, not like this._

_“Uh, it’s an expression from…”_ _She tried to think somewhere,_ anywhere _. “From Kansas, my very normal hometown.”_ _She finally stated with an uncertain, awkward smile._ _She was not entirely sure if Kansas was a city or a state or something else, but it would have to do._

_“Okay, then.” The girl simply shrugged and Kara allowed herself to breathe a little easier._

_Kara used the moment of silence of the girl to look around again, to the students who continued to act strangely and reproduce that animal sound._

_“Do you know why everyone thinks they’re, you know, ducks?”_ _She questioned, praying to Rao that she had said the name of the right bird._

 _“Yes. Uh, that’s sort of my fault.”_ _The Kryptonian then looked at the little girl in surprise and saw her with a slightly shy and awkward smile. “I built this mind control helmet thing, but it doesn’t work right yet. It makes people think they’re ducks.” She explained and Kara looked at her in awe._ _She had not met anyone so smart since she had come to Earth – at least, someone so close to her own age. “I’m Lena.” The little girl smiled. “Lena Thorul.”_ _She said as she held the metal device precariously with one arm and she extended a hand to Kara, who quickly shook it._

 _“I’m Kara Z...”_ _She broke off quickly when she realized what she was about to say. She felt her eyes burn with restrained tears. She was no longer Kara Zor-El, after all. “Kara Danvers.”_ _The new last name left a bitter taste in the Kryptonian's tongue, even if she liked and felt grateful to the family that so gently took her in._

 _“I know.” The girl –_ Lena - _nodded. “We’re both the new kids around here. That’s kind of why I built the mind-control-accidental-duck machine. Everyone was being really mean to you, especially that cheerleader girl.” She explained. “I’m a bit of a science tech nerd and I thought I could help you out.”_ _Kara felt her chest warm. Not many people had been so kind to her since the Kryptonian had come to Earth. She smiled at the green-eyed girl._

 _“I don’t even know how I can thank you.” She admitted, her smile widening._ _The pain in her chest – the grief, and the longing – seemed momentarily forgotten in the face of the kind, selfless gesture of such a small being._

_“You don’t need to. It was no trouble.” Lena shrugged again._

_The silence reigned, except for the continuous 'Quack! Quack!' of students around them._ _Lena seemed suddenly awkward, as if she did not know how to act, and Kara remembered what Eliza Danvers had told her before her first day at that school a few weeks ago. 'Try to make some friends, Kara. It will be good for you'. This was an opportunity to make friends, right? Lena seemed to be such a good person, if she was willing to do all this to help a stranger. She would be a good friend, right?_

 _“So…” Kara felt a blush color her cheeks in embarrassment. She did not know if she was doing it right. “Do you think we could be, like, friends?”_ _She waited anxiously, fearing a negative answer. However, Lena merely smiled._

 _“I don’t see why not.” The smaller girl quickly replied and Kara allowed the relief course through her body. “Let’s go?”_ _She gestured toward the door at the end of the hall, where Kara was headed before being interrupted by Belinda. It was time to go home, after all._

 _“Sure.”_ _Kara smiled as she nodded._ _However, she looked around before walking towards the door. The 'Quack! Quack!' continued and it did not look like it was going to end any time soon. “Will they all stop being ducks?” She asked Lena._

 _“I think so.” The smaller girl shrugged. “Maybe.”_ _There was something rather pleased in Lena's grin that made Kara laugh. The green-eyed girl looked at her with joy before pulling her toward the door, and the Kryptonian allowed herself to be guided without any hesitation._

_She finally had a friend._

\- SC -

Kara looked around nervously as she waited for her date. Alex had helped her choose her outfit and she felt confident about herself, but waiting for so long was beginning to make her think that no one would come. She looked at the clock on the wall. It had been fifteen minutes since the agreed time and her date had not yet arrived.

She was about to give up and leave when something caught her attention.

"I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for a long time." A shiver ran down Kara's spine at the sound of the familiar voice.

"No way.” She murmured to herself before gathering the necessary courage and turning slowly. Her heart pounded madly in her chest and she finally found herself staring at familiar Kryptonite eyes. “Lena!” She immediately threw herself into the dark-haired woman’s eyes. “What... When...” She pulled away just enough to look into Lena's eyes, her arms still around friend. “You didn’t tell me you were coming to National City."

Kara was thirteen and Lena was ten when they met, and, years later, their friendship had only grown. There was the problem of distance, which had occurred when they both went to college. At age eighteen, Kara went to NCU, while Lena, at fifteen, went to MIT. Still, it was common for them to communicate by email, and Kara did not remember Lena telling her she was coming to National City.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Last minute decision, actually." The green-eyed woman explained with a smirk. She had changed a lot since Kara had met her. She was still shorter than the blonde-haired woman was, but the height difference was no longer so noticeable. She had also become incredibly beautiful; something Kara could not help but since she was seventeen.

"The perks of being rich." The blue-eyed alien commented playfully, not attempting to move away from the shorter woman. The warmth of Lena's embrace was incomparable, and although Kara could confess to being attracted to James Olsen when she saw him, nothing could compare to the feeling Lena could still light within the Kryptonian.

"I guess so." Lena shrugged and, finally, Kara stepped away, looking at her friend with a happy, knowing smile.

"Are you my date, Ms. Thorul?” Kara watched Lena glance away at the question. It did not take more than a moment to figure out why. “You hacked the website, didn’t you?"

Lena’s smirk only grew and she looked at Kara again.

"You know me so well.” They both laughed. “Yes, I’m your date. Disappointed?" Lena raised an eyebrow in a way that still managed to make Kara's knees weaken.

"Never.” Kara replied and quickly pulled her friend into another hug. She could not believe Lena was there, right in front of her. “I've missed you so much. It's been so long since we last saw each other." She remarked as she pulled away.

Kara sees Lena every year, at least three times a year. The dark-haired woman made a point of coming for Kara's birthday, as well as for her Earth birthday and for Christmas and New Year. Still, any period of time seemed too long for the Kryptonian. She never wanted to be away from her best friend.

"That's what happens when we live in different cities.” Lena shrugged and Kara sighed in response. “Fortunately, you'll have me around much more often."

"What?” Kara asked in disbelief. “You... You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?" She had not even gotten an answer, but her heart was already hammering wildly in her chest at the possibility of it.

"I'm moving to National City." Lena replied.

"Really?” Kara could hardly believe it. It was too good to be true. “What about Metropolis?”

"I have no more reason to stay there anymore.” The dark-haired woman shrugged. “Actually, I have business to deal with in National City. You're going to have to put up with me for a long time." She smiled suggestively and raised both eyebrows.

Kara could not contain herself any longer. She pulled Lena into a hug again, and only when the green-eyed woman hissed, the blonde-haired assistant realized that she was squeezing her too tightly due to her enthusiasm. Kara loosened her grip, but did not let go of Lena.

“That's the best news I got today!" It really was. Between a busy day fetching coffee and layouts for Ms. Grant, the need to pretend being just a normal human when she felt she could do more for the world, and Alex's trip to Geneva, Lena's being in National City was her biggest source of happiness that day.

"I'm glad.” Lena said when, after much longer than a merely friendly hug would last, Kara pulled away. “Do you want a drink?"

"Yeah, I think..." Kara stopped when her she heard something that made her gaze stop on the television.

“ _If you're just joining us, shortly after take-off, National City Airlines, Flight 237 bound for Geneva, is experiencing some loss of altitude. The pilot seems to be circling the city after apparent engine failure._ ”

“Did he say Geneva?” The Kryptonian felt her heart stop. “Alex.” _Alex_ was on that plane. _Her sister was on that falling plane_. She had to contain the urge to run outside and instead turned to Lena, who was watching her with concern. “Lena, I…” Kara felt her voice catch in her throat, the despair weighing on her chest.

“It’s okay. Go.” The younger woman promptly said. “I’ll wait at your apartment. I still have the key you gave me. Go. Good luck.”

Kara just nodded and ran outside. She had to save her sister.

...

Kara felt the absolute euphoria running through her body as she walked down the darkened corridor to her apartment. The sound of her wet steps and the water dripping from her soaked body were only a reminder of what she had just done.

She had flown! After all this time, she had actually used her powers. She saved a plane. She had saved Alex! It was an inexplicable feeling. Was that what Kal-El felt when he acted as Superman in Metropolis?

Kara could not wait to tell Lena, who, as far as the blonde-haired alien could hear, was really waiting for her in the apartment. However, she seemed to be in the middle of a call, if what the Kryptonian heard was any indication.

“ _I… Jess, calm down_.” She heard Lena sigh. “ _I know! I know, okay?_ ” There was a long pause, which indicated that the person on the other end of the line, whom Kara knew to be Lena's Personal Assistant, was speaking. “ _Well, tell Waller she can go to Hell for all I care._ ” She sounded frustrated. “ _I know. I’m here, remember?_ ” Finally, Kara reached the door and opened it. “Jess, I…” Lena broke off when she saw her. “I’ll call you back.” She said before hanging up and running to Kara. “Hey, are you okay?”

Lena took the Kryptonian's face in her hands and looked frantically at her, looking for some sign of discomfort or some injury. Kara was quick to reassure her.

“Yeah, I…” She did not know how to explain the euphoria she felt. She was not okay; she was much better than that. She felt as if her chest would combust, and not in a bad way. “I never felt better.” The smile on her face was wide enough to almost be painful, but it seemed to be the only way to express her happiness.

Lena let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Good.” She stroked Kara's face with her thumbs. “You almost gave me a heart attack, you know?” Kara chuckled, to which Lena only rolled her eyes but continued to smile. The relief on her face was evident. “Go change your clothes. You're soaked."

“I’ll be right back.”

True to her word, Kara took no more than a minute to change and go back to Lena. She was too excited, too energized due to what she had done. She had used her powers and saved people. Her chest seemed about to explode in happiness.

When she sat down next to Lena on the couch, the green-eyed woman handed her a pot of ice cream.

“They’re talking about you.” Lena commented, pointed at the television, which was broadcasting a newscast.

“Really?” Kara, who could hardly believe what she had done, turned her attention to the reporter on the screen.

“ _The passengers of Flight 237 appear to have a guardian angel. When, what many report to be a female flying form..._ ”

“Oh, my God.” Kara squealed. She smiled widely at the image of the plane floating in the water. She did that. She saved those people.

“ _...Rescued them from certain death. Leyna Nguyen is live at the scene._ ”

The image shifted from the reporter in the studio to a woman who appeared to be on the bridge near which Kara had landed the plane. Instinctively, the blonde-haired alien leaned forward, enthusiastic.

“ _Thank you, Rick. Guardian angel or human wrecking ball?_ ”

“What?” Kara frowned.

“ _There is destruction all over Otto Binder Bridge. And one..._ ”

“Well, you try saving a plane for the first time. See if you don't make a mess.” Kara snapped. Little did she care that she was talking to a television. She still had no practice in carrying airplanes. Who could blame her for making a bit of a mess the first time? At least she had managed to save the passengers, had managed to save Alex. It was all that mattered to her.

“You may want to calm down, darling.” Lena chuckled beside her and pulled the blonde-haired alien toward herself. Kara allowed herself to be pulled and then snuggled into her best friend’s arms.

Almost simultaneously, the apartment’s front door – which Kara did not bother locking – was opened and Alex hurried in. The older Danvers seemed about to say something when her gaze stopped on the television.

“Oh, my God.” She repeated the words Kara had said earlier, though her tone carried more panic than enthusiasm.

Kara, however, did not seem to notice that.

“I know! It's incredible!” She jumped off the couch and ran to her sister, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Ow.”

“Oh, sorry.” Kara immediately pulled away. Again, she had lost track of her strength. She needed to learn to control herself better when she was so happy. “That was... That was too hard. I'm just...” She squealed. “I'm so excited. I still can't believe I did it.” She turned her attention to the television once again.

“Yeah. Neither can I.” Alex released the air she seemed to be holding. She looked around, lost, one hand massaging her temple. Her eyes finally stopped at Lena, in what seemed to be the first time she had noticed the green-eyed woman. “Hi, Lena. I didn’t know you were in National City. It’s good to see you.” She forced a smile, though her worry and tension had not become less obvious.

“Likewise.” Lena replied with a smile that was a bit more genuine than Alex’s was. “I just got here a few hours ago actually.”

Alex nodded and smiled at Lena for another short moment before it dissolved as her gaze returned to Kara.

“Are you okay, Kara?” She asked with a concern that was inherent to her when it came to her younger sister. As Lena had done earlier, the shorthaired woman scanned her sister for some wound or a sign of discomfort.

“Me? Am I okay?” Kara asked in disbelief. “Are _you_ okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Were you scared? I mean, I was scared too, but you... You had to be terrified. Because you had no idea I was coming to save you.”

“I need a drink.” Alex suddenly said.

“Make it two.” Lena said. In response, the older Danvers simply nodded and headed toward the kitchen.

“Right! Yeah, we need to celebrate.” Kara nodded enthusiastically. “It has been so long. I almost forgot how to fly.” She chuckled. “Well, not so much ‘how’, but more, more how it feels, like... Scared, but good scared. Like, like that moment right before you kiss someone for the first time.” Inevitably, her gaze lingered on Lena, who merely grinned back. Kara felt the blush heat up her face with the memory that passed through her mind, but she forced herself to focus on the present, on her current situation. “And now... Now it's like...” She could not find the words to explain it properly. “I'm not sure what comes next. Or maybe I am sure and I'm just afraid of what it means. And if it means what I think it means.”

Her smile widened. She had finally found her place in the world. She had the same powers as her cousin and could do the same as him. She could save people, she could be a hero, and finally had the opportunity to do so.

Alex then returned to the living room with two glasses of Whiskey, one of which she handed to Lena, who accepted with a short thank-you. The shorthaired woman drank the contents of the glass in a single gulp before turning her attention to Kara.

“What were you thinking?” The older Danvers' tone was enough to erase the smile on the blonde-haired alien's face. “You exposed yourself. To the world.” She pointed to the television. “You're out there now, Kara. Everyone will know about you and you can't take that back.”

“I don't want to.” Kara replied promptly. “This is what I was talking about, Alex. I've always felt the need to help people, and tonight I finally got that chance. I... I didn't travel 2000 light-years just to be an assistant.”

“What if people figure out who you are? What you are? It's just...” Alex frowned. “It's not safe for you to do anything like that. Ever again.”

At those words, the Kryptonian's mood shift was visible; from the way her shoulders fell to how she lowered her gaze.

“Oh.” It was all she could force herself to say. She could feel her sister's gaze on her and knew that Alex would not change her mind. That knowledge did not make the situation less painful. “I'm kind of tired, I...” She took a deep breath in an attempt to stop herself from crying. “I just carried a plane on my back. I'm gonna go to bed. You should go.”

“Don't say I didn't warn you.” It was all Alex said before agreeing to Kara's request and leaving the apartment.

While her sister's footsteps down the hallway still reached her ears, Kara remained silent. When, at last, Alex left the building, the blonde-haired woman allowed herself to collapse on the couch beside Lena, who had been silent all the time. The glass of Whiskey in his hand remained the same way Alex had handed it to her.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Kara told Lena, though her gaze was on the floor.

“I’ve seen worse.” Lena shrugged before wrapping an arm around the Kryptonian's shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I…” Kara took a deep breath and looked at the green-eyed woman. “Do you want to sleep over tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Whatever you need.” Lena smiled weakly. “What are friends for?”


	2. Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can think of you and I know  
> I'm not alone  
> I know I'm not alone"  
> \- 'Not Alone', Heffron Drive

_Kara was not entirely comfortable asking Lena something, though they had been best friends for a few months now. She had never been to the younger girl's house and did not want to make Lena feel pressured. Still, Alex would take some friends home, which always made the environment too noisy. Considering her sharp hearing, Kara preferred to be anywhere else, especially if she had to do school work. Eliza and Jeremiah had agreed, which meant she could talk to Lena about it._

_With that in mind, she approached her best friend at the end of the class._

_"Hey, Lena.”_ _She nodded nervously, and, in response, the shorter girl only smiled._ _Kara then took a deep breath and tried to muster up the courage to make her request. “I know we planned to do the history project at my house, but Alex's going to take some friends there and it can get a little noisy.” She explained. “Do you think we could do it in yours?" She then waited anxiously for an answer, which, lucky for her, was not long in coming._

 _"Sure.”_ _Lena simply shrugged, as if the request was not, in fact, important. “Come with me."_

_Kara did as she was told, and followed Lena down the crowded hallway. Belinda had not bothered her since the duck incident, something the Kryptonian was grateful for. In the same way, when the cheerleader stopped bothering her, no one else did. Since Lena had helped her, Kara's school days had become significantly simpler._

_Therefore, there was no stopping her from following Lena to where the younger girl wanted to go. They stopped only outside of the school, in front of a tall, well-dressed man who waited next to an expensive-looking black car. Kara did not recognize him, but he obviously recognized her green-eyed friend._

_"Hello, Ms. Thorul."_ _He greeted Lena with cordiality and a smile that was unexpectedly warm._

 _"Hi, Hector.”_ _Lena replied with a cheerful grin, as if talking to someone in her family, rather than someone who was, as far as Kara could see, an employee. Then, she turned to her blonde-haired best friend, who watched the interaction with curiosity. “Kara, this is my driver, Hector. Hector, this is Kara."_

 _"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kara.”_ _He spoke to the blonde-haired alien, who, with embarrassment, only nodded and waved._ _The man chuckled, before turning his gaze to Lena. “Where to, Ms. Thorul?"_

 _"Home.” She replied. “Kara will accompany me today."_ _Hector looked surprised by the information, which was evident from the way he raised both eyebrows, but he did not ask questions or made objections. Instead, the driver opened the car door for both girls to enter before heading to his own seat behind the wheel._

_The drive to Lena's house was longer than Kara had expected. It was then the first time the thirteen years old girl realized that she had no idea where her best friend lived. Lena had never spoken of her house or her family, always immersed in her scientific projects or Kara's own foster family, who had taken an affection for the little Thorul._

_When, at last, the car stopped in front of a property that was practically in the limits of Midvale, Kara could not help but gape at what she saw. The mansion was far away in the huge property, but the distance did not make it less magnificent. It was probably the largest building the Kryptonian had seen since she had come to Earth, and certainly the most beautiful._ _Lena had once mentioned that her family had a good financial condition, but Kara had not imagined anything like that._

 _“Wow. This house is, it’s just...”_ _She did not have a good enough knowledge of English to describe that house, though she doubted there was a word in that language that could. “Wow.”_ _It was all she could come up with. “You must have a huge family.”_ _Then she looked at her best friend with curiosity; after all, Lena had never said a single word about the rest of the Thorul family._

 _“No.”_ _Lena lowered her gaze, suddenly sad. Kara hated herself for saying something that had so obviously upset her friend. “It's just me.”_

_Kara frowned._

_"What do you mean? You certainly don’t live here alone."_ _She alternated glances between Lena and the huge mansion. She was almost certain that people that age could not live alone on Earth. Could they?_

 _"My father died some time ago, and my mother and my brother don’t live with me.”_ _Lena shrugged, as if it were not important, but the look on her face said otherwise. “Like I said, it's just me. Mother hired people to look after me, but that's all."_ _She glanced over her shoulder at Hector, who pretended not to notice the conversation between the two girls._

_Still, Kara could not believe what she had just heard. What kind of mother sent her child away when she had the choice to stay with them? Alura had sent her to Earth, but it was for her own protection and for her to take care of her cousin. What reason did Lena's mother have to keep her away?_

_Immediately, in the face of the pain on her best friend's face, Kara knew she should not ask. Instead, she put a hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder, catching her attention._

_"So, you live alone here?"_ _For the brief moment between her question and Lena's response, she prayed to Rao for the answer to be no._

_However, Lena simply shrugged again._

_“It's okay, Kara.” The green-eyed girl said. “I'm used to being alone."_

_"But you shouldn’t!”_ _Kara snapped back and Lena looked at her in surprise._ _The Kryptonian then took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down; she did not want to upset her friend any further. Instead, she smiled at Lena and squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, while we're friends, you don’t have to get used to being alone. I promise.”_

_This brought an immediate smile to Lena's face as the younger girl looked at Kara as if she were not real._

_“Likewise.” She then said and, although Kara was not certain of what that word meant, she positively beamed. “You can always count on me for everything, no matter what. I’ll always support you.”_ _In response, Kara pulled her into a tight hug, which Lena soon matched._

_They had each other, and that would never change._

\- SC -

Kara woke up in the morning with Lena partially lying on top of her. The smile that spread across her face was immediate. There were no moments when she was happier than when Lena visited her, and she could not avoid the pure joy that ran through her body with the idea that her friend would be in National City for long this time.

She turned her gaze to Lena's calm face. Her dark hair was messed up, and a few strands fell on her face. Her closed eyelids hid the Kryptonite eyes that Kara loved so much. Asleep, Lena looked younger, unconcerned, as if the weight of a world had been lifted from her shoulders. Just looking at her made Kara's heart pound in her chest.

Flush burned in her cheeks as suddenly the sound of Lena's husky voice filled the room.

“I can feel you staring.” At once, Kara looked away. How had she not realized that Lena was awake?

“Sorry.” She murmured and, in response, got only a chuckle from the green-eyed woman, who tightened her arms around the alien’s waist.

…

“So, what’re your plans for today?” Kara asked as, for a moment, she stopped inhaling the pancakes her friend had made. “I mean, I really wanted to stay with you and do something together, but you know I have to go to work." She wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day with Lena, but it was not an option. Ms. Grant would certainly fire her if she missed work. Could she call and say she was sick?

"I know, don’t worry.” Lena replied before Kara could think more about that idea. “Jess sent me a list of possible apartments and I predict that I'll spend the whole morning going through said list. It’ll keep me occupied.” The blonde-haired alien felt a sudden sadness at the thought of Lena moving. Whenever she visited National City, the green-eyed woman stayed in Kara's apartment. Of course, the Kryptonian could not expect Lena to live with her, right? “See you at lunch?”

This served the purpose of bringing a smile to the face of the blue-eyed woman.

"Noonan's?" She suggested.

"That place you always take me when I come here?” Kara nodded. “Sure. Do we meet here and go together?” Again, the blue-eyed woman nodded enthusiastically, to which Lena laughed. “I'll see you later." She kissed Kara's cheek – a gesture that brought a strong, hot flush to the Kryptonian’s cheeks – before smiling to the assistant and leaving the apartment.

Kara put a hand to her face, where Lena had kissed her, and her cheek still seemed to burn with the memory of the touch of the green-eyed woman's lips. The blonde-haired alien smiled widely.

Today would be a good day.

…

It was lunchtime and, after everything that happened that day, Kara could not wait to talk to Lena. Therefore, she returned to her apartment with Winn, whom she asked to wait outside the building until she explained the situation to her best friend. Soon the blonde-haired assistant burst into the apartment, startling the green-eyed woman sitting on the couch, whose attention was centered on a book.

“I told Winn.” This was probably not the best way to tell her best friend – who was almost as overprotective as Alex was – that she had revealed her secret about being alien to yet another person, but it was too late to turn back now.

“I’m sorry, but what did you tell who?” Lena frowned and lowered the book, placing it in the free place beside her on the couch.

“You know, Winn.” Kara replied, but the blank look on Lena's face indicated that she still did not understand whom the Kryptonian was talking about. “The IT guy I work with. I told you about him.”

It took a short moment for the realization to settle into Lena's green eyes.

“Oh, the boy who has a crush on you.” The dark-haired woman chuckled. “I remember him.”

Kara, for her part, did not find the situation funny and frowned.

“He doesn’t have a crush on me, Lena.”

“Feel free to continue to lie to yourself, darling.” The younger woman simply shrugged. It was probably best to drop the subject. “Now, what did you tell him?”

“About me.” Kara replied hesitantly. “You know, about me being an alien.”

The tense silence that settled in the apartment made Kara look uncomfortably at the floor. She could feel Lena's gaze on her, analyzing her, and she could almost feel the disapproval that that gaze carried, but she did not want to look at the disappointed face of her best friend. She had already had a fight with Alex the night before; she did not want to fight Lena too.

“Why?” Unexpectedly, Lena seemed calm enough as she spoke, enough for Kara to muster up the courage to look at her.

“Impulse?” She realized that she had made a mistake in giving that answer when she watched her best friend frown. “I don’t know! I just...” She took a deep breath. “I was just so excited and I needed someone to help me do all this.” Whatever _this_ was. “I know I can do more for the world than just being Ms. Grant's assistant.”

Again, the silence reigned and Kara felt Lena's analytical gaze on her. She cringed, waiting for what was to come. However, when the green-eyed woman spoke again, she was as calm as before.

“If you wanted help, why didn’t you just ask me?” Lena raised an eyebrow and Kara found herself absurdly surprised by the question, so much that it became clear by the expression on her face.

“I thought...” The blonde-haired alien swallowed. “I thought you'd agree with Alex, about it being too dangerous.”

“In fact, it is very dangerous, but you're a big girl and you can make your own decisions, Kara.” Lena shrugged. “If that's what you want, I'll support you.” That made Kara remember what Lena had said so many years before, when they were both mere children and she had just discovered how much her best friend was lonely. _‘I’ll always support you._ ’

The Kryptonian beamed and threw herself into her best friend's arms, hugging her as tightly as possible without hurting her.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She really did not. Lena had been a part of her life for a long time, and even with the physical distance between the two when they went to different colleges and moved to different cities, Lena was always there for Kara. The Kryptonian would hardly know how to act if she lost her.

“Luckily, you’ll never need to find out.” Lena replied with apparent satisfaction before kissing Kara's cheek and pulling away. The blonde-haired woman's cheeks flushed, but she smiled happily. “So, what now?”

Kara needed a moment to remember what was being discussed earlier.

“Oh, Winn is waiting outside!” She said. “He’ll help with the suit. You'll like him, I promise.” Kara explained excitedly as she hurried toward the door. “You can be nerds together. I’ll go get him.” She left the apartment without allowing Lena a single word, and, in response, the Thorul only smiled. She hoped Kara would never change.

…

In the end, Kara was not mistaken about Winn. Lena, in fact, had liked him. He was incredibly smart and, in union, the two were more than capable of coming up with ideas for suits that the Kryptonian could use to fight crime.

Now, Kara was testing the possibilities.

“So, how is it? Huh?” Winn asked, curious to see how one of his creations would be on his blonde-haired friend. “How does it fit?”

When Kara finally entered his field of vision, flush colored the man's cheeks. Not much different, Lena's usually pale cheeks flashed pink as she stared at her best friend.

“She’s not flying around saving people in this…”Lena looked away and the blush on her face grew stronger. “Thing.”

“She’s right.” Kara nodded at once. She was not comfortable with the ‘suit’, which covered little or almost nothing of her body, so she hugged her own body in an attempt to hide some of the skin on display. Especially, she did not feel comfortable in such a state of semi-nudity in front of Lena, who was not even looking at her anymore. “I... I wouldn't even wear it to the beach.” She confessed, embarrassed. “Where's my cape?”

“Capes are lame.” Winn replied promptly and Lena looked weirdly at him. “Tell your cousin I said so.” His eyes widened when he realized what he had said. “Actually, never, never do that.”

Lena chose this moment to intervene. She still seemed unable to look at Kara, so that all her attention was on Winn.

“Actually, a cape aids with aerodynamics.”

Winn looked at her strangely.

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Yes, it does.” He looked at her skeptically and she rolled her eyes. “Fifty dollars that the cape _does_ help with aerodynamics.” Lena raised an eyebrow.

“Deal.” Winn shook her hand and Kara took advantage of the pair’s distraction to go and change.

She returned a few minutes later with the other suit option that Lena and Winn had come up, which was infinitely more composed than the first option. She stood in front of the pair, who looked at her in awe.

“Oh.” It was all Winn could bring himself to say.

Lena, on the other hand, had a lot more composure, and smiled approvingly at Kara.

“It could do with pants instead of a skirt, but it looks good on you.” In response to this, Kara blushed strongly, but smiled with satisfaction.

They stared into each other's eyes, as if they had forgotten they were not alone in the apartment. Only when Winn cleared his throat audibly did they remember that they had company and looked at the man, blushing strongly.

“Now, to be a superhero you need a crime.” He stated, in an attempt to get rid of the strange mood that had settled in the apartment, and opened his laptop. “I hacked into the NCPD. There's a car chase on the 112 freeway.”

“I can do a car chase!” Kara declared with joy before throwing herself out the window and flying away.

Lena immediately stole Winn's computer – earning loud protests from him – and brought it to her lap. In a matter of seconds, she hacked into the city's transit cameras system, which allowed the pair to watch Kara's pursuit of the fleeing car.

When, instead of turning, Kara ended up colliding with the obstacle in front of her, Lena winced. A moment later, she remembered that it could not have hurt her best friend. Then, she cast a slightly arrogant glance at the man beside her on the couch.

“You owe me fifty dollars.”

“I thought Kara said you're rich.” Winn frowned.

“It's not about money. It's about principles.” Lena shrugged. “Pay up.” She held out a hand to Winn, who unwillingly took the wallet in his pocket and began to gather the money inside.

…

At the end of the day, after all the tests and possible changes, Kara stood in front of Lena and Winn, in her full suit, with the red cape and boots, and the same symbol that adorned her cousin's chest.

 “Alright, the new cape is made from a structured polymer composite. It's much sturdier than...” Lena nudged him and rolled her eyes, which made him stop. “And, uh...” Winn pointed to Kara's chest, where was the well-known symbol. “This one has the ‘S’. For ‘Super’, just like your cousin.”

“It's not an ‘S’.” Kara replied. “It's my family's coat of arms. The House of El.”

She looked at Lena, waiting for an opinion, a verdict. In response, the green-eyed woman gave her a smile.

“You look great.”

…

When, much later than usual, Kara entered the apartment, Lena was still waiting for her, sitting on the couch. The blonde-haired alien had left earlier to take care of a fire and did not respond to a single message or call ever since. When she saw her, the green-eyed woman immediately stood up and ran to her, catching her in a tight embrace that lasted only a short moment, as she stepped back to examine Kara's physical condition.

“Where were you?” Lena asked anxiously. “I was worried sick.”

“I…”Kara sniffed, suddenly unable to hold back the tears. She collapsed into Lena's arms, which immediately tightened around her. “I was…” She could not speak anymore. A series of suffocated sobs prevented her from uttering a single word and she buried her head in the curve of Lena's neck.

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Lena kissed the top of her head and guided her toward the sofa, where they sat down. “I’m here, okay? I’m here.” Then, she stroked Kara's hair and remained silent, allowing the Kryptonian to cry as much as she needed.

It took some time for Kara to regain her composure. At no time did Lena show impatience. Instead, the green-eyed woman continued to caress Kara's hair and, from time to time, whisper her words of comfort until, finally, the blonde-haired alien calmed down.

“Now, what happened?” Lena asked when the crying finally subsided.

“Alex lied to me.” Kara mumbled into her neck.

“What?” Lena raised both eyebrows in surprise.

“I’m not even sure what happened, but…” Kara sniffled as she moved away from her friend enough to look at her. “But she lied, Lena. She lied to me. All my life here on Earth, she didn’t want me to reveal my powers, and now she's one of the people who hunts down aliens.” Once again, she buried her face in the curve of her friend’s neck. “She lied to me, Lena. I can’t believe she lied.” She suffocated a sob. “She is part of a government agency, the... The...”

“The DEO.” Lena completed to Kara's surprise, which made the Kryptonian move away from her.

“Wait, you knew?” There was a look of betrayal in the blue of Kara's eyes and, inevitably, Lena cringed.

“Kara, you'd be surprised at the number of government agencies I hacked.” She confessed, still uncomfortable at the look she was receiving from her blonde-haired best friend.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my secret to tell. You needed to hear it from Alex, not from me.” The green-eyed woman sighed. “It was her secret, Kara, not mine.” She watched Kara shift her gaze and, again, cringed. “Are you mad at me?”

The time it took Kara to respond was more than enough to lighten the anxiety in Lena's chest, but at last, the blue-eyed woman spoke.

“No.” Kara sighed. “You did what you thought was right. I can’t blame you for that.”

“Still, I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“It’s okay.” Kara assured her, and, as proof, she snuggled back into her best friend, whose arms tightened around her body. She could feel the tranquility that Lena passed her spreading through her body, and with the younger woman stroking her hair, the Kryptonian felt she was about to fall asleep.

However, before she had such an opportunity, the sound of Lena's phone woke her up. Kara grinned as she realized that the ringtone was still the same one she had chosen for Lena – Toxic, by Britney Spears. It did not really match the composure and usual seriousness of the green-eyed woman – a facet she liked to display to anyone but Kara –, but the fact that Lena did not change it warmed the Kryptonian’s chest.

However, she frowned when she did not feel Lena make a single move to get up and answer the phone on the table.

“Your phone.”

“Let it ring.” Lena shrugged and kissed the top of her head. “You’re more important.”

On the face of it, Kara snuggled closer into her friend's arms, content with her current position, and the phone eventually stopped ringing. Lena continued stroking her hair, just as before. However, the gesture did not bring her sleep, especially when her stomach roared with the hunger that was beginning to become impossible to ignore.

“Hungry?” Lena chuckled.

“Always.” Kara grinned.

“What do you say I go out to buy dinner while you take a shower and get some rest?” The dark-haired woman proposed. “When I get back, we could eat and watch a movie.”

“Beauty and the Beast!” Kara exclaimed cheerfully, her previous problem with Alex left aside for now.

“As you wish, darling.” She kissed the Kryptonian’s cheek. “I won’t take long.” Lena assured her, and finally got out of her best friend's arms, grabbed her cell phone and then left the apartment.

…

Going out to buy dinner was the perfect excuse to get away from Kara enough to return the missed call. Lena took her cell phone out of her pocket and stared at the screen, which displayed the name of the person whose call she had not answered previously.

**A. W.**

The green-eyed woman already knew who it was before she saw the name on the screen, but that did not placate her anger. Lena took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm herself before dialing the number and taking the phone to her ear. The person on the other end of the line did not take long to answer – obviously, she was waiting for the call.

Lena did not wait for her to speak.

“Jess gave me your message, if that's what you're worried about, Waller.” Her voice sounded unabashedly harsh. She had no reason to feign kindness to the woman. Amanda knew that Lena hated her, and the Thorul could risk saying that the other woman liked it that way.

“ _Your anger is unnecessary, Lena._ ” The simple sound of that voice, a voice that had already become known to Lena, was enough to make her blood boil. “ _I thought we were past this._ ”

The dark-haired woman took a deep breath again before speaking.

“What do you want?”

“ _Your mission has changed._ ” At that, Lena frowned.

“How so?”

“ _I'm sure you heard about National City's new superhero._ ” Lena could have sworn her heart missed a beat as she heard Amanda's explanation. “ _You’ll continue to investigate the fugitives from Fort Rozz, but you’ll also keep an eye on this new ‘Super’ for me._ ”

She should have known that Waller would ask for it, mainly because of the interest the older woman showed when she learned of the news that a mysterious woman had saved passengers from a falling plane from certain death. She just did not expect such a mission to come so soon.

“She's not dangerous, Waller.” The argument would be futile, Lena knew, but she could not help but try. The farther Amanda was from Kara, the better.

“ _It seems to me that you know her well. That will be advantageous._ ” Lena tightened her fingers around the phone as she listened to the woman's satisfied tone on the other end of the line. “ _But I didn’t ask for your opinion, Lena, I gave you an order. An order you_ will _follow if you don’t want something bad to happen to that poor little girl. She asked for you today, you know?_ ”

The simple memory of innocent green eyes and childish face was enough for Lena to accept defeat. Her shoulders dropped and she looked down at the floor. In the end, she truly had no choice, not when it came to Amanda Waller.

“How long will you use her against me?” Her voice exuded exhaustion as she asked. She had been in this situation for years, and every day that was happening, a new piece of her was being torn. She did not want to obey Waller, but she had no choice.

“ _Until you have no more use to me._ ” Lena felt like laughing hysterically in response to the seriousness in Amanda's voice. The day Waller would not need her anymore would probably never come. Still, she remained silent, composed. It would not do her good to let the other woman overhear a single sign of weakness. “ _As long as I need you, you’ll be my White Knight. Was I clear?_ ”

She had no choice but to nod.

“Yes.”

“ _Good. Keep me updated._ ”

The line went dead and Lena sighed. A simple conversation with Amanda Waller had drained her of all her energy. Still, she had to go and buy dinner before Kara began to suspect too much of her delay. She did not like lying to her blonde-haired friend, but she had no choice.

She was a part of Checkmate, and she had a job to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually already have some chapters of this fic written and ready, so I thought I could post another one before the weekend is over. I'll only be able to post again on Saturday though.  
> I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me your opinions; if you like it, what I'm doing wrong, how can I improve. You know, these things. Feedback is pretty cool, and it's important. ;)  
> Well, that's all.  
> See ya!

**Author's Note:**

> Please, tell me your opinions. I hope you liked it.  
> See ya!


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